


Wild Eyes in the Shadows

by thewriterofperfectdisasters



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: (is that a thing?????????) (someone heLP ME), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Humans, Jewelry, M/M, this is so badly edited im so tired im so sorry, what the fuck am i doing im going to bed bye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-16 08:17:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8094775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewriterofperfectdisasters/pseuds/thewriterofperfectdisasters
Summary: Alec watched him for a moment, noting the silver snake cuff on his ear. ‘Is there anywhere you don’t wear jewellery?’Magnus touched his ear briefly. ‘Oh, that one stays there. It’s where I get my magic from.’





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jinko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinko/gifts).



> so basically my pal [jinko](http://jinkohamilton.tumblr.com/) wrote [this](http://jinkohamilton.tumblr.com/post/149646960813/theres-this-horrible-lack-of-alec-gently-removing) post about there being a distinct lack of alec gently removing magnus' jewellery piece by piece and tl;dr: i volunteered as tribute to rectify a misdoing (of sorts) and combined it with ye olde "i am very drunk and climbed in my friend's window but wait when did you get a cat oops this is a stranger's apartment" trope, bc i can. ~~dude im so sorry i did not do this justice lmao~~
> 
>  **important disclaimer:** if they're wildly ooc, it's absolutely bc i am not exactly familiar w these two oops. as in, i don't have the... _rapport_ with them that a lot of other fic writers for this fandom do. as in, i've never read shadowhunters fic, and i've never written shadowhunters fic, and it's been a while since i last watched the show. i am so so sorry. also, ending is shit and i know that, but it's 2am and im really tired so i don't really care im sorry im sorry.
> 
> anyhoo enjoy~
> 
> (title from captivate by crusoe.) (like i said im so tired this is all just going downhill im posting before i fuck this up somehow bye)
> 
> this work has been translated into russian by mrs. lady night, and is available to read [here](https://ficbook.net/readfic/4776662)! thank you!

Alec was having a bad day. It might’ve been of his own making, but he didn’t really want to go and proclaim to the world that he might’ve kinda told his best friend he had a crush on him. _Oops_ didn’t really cover it. He felt like shit, he was absolutely wasted, and he couldn’t go back to the apartment he shared with Jace, because God knew that would be a conversation he didn’t want to have.

Alec mostly just wanted to hide out for a few days and mope about the fact that he possibly just ruined their friendship with his drunken confession. There was pretty much only one place he could go, now – to take up residence on his sister’s couch.

For whatever reason, he decided the easiest way to get to her apartment was by climbing the fire escape and breaking in through her living room window (he was _really_ not sober, okay?). The window pushed open easily, which should’ve been his first clue something was wrong, because Izzy’s window usually needed a strong shove to open.

The second clue that something was amiss would’ve the table he bumped into, and the plant he knocked off. Clue number three would’ve been the cat he nearly squashed as he stumbled to the couch and fell onto it.

‘Izzy!’ Alec moaned into the pillow. ‘I messed up!’ When he heard soft footsteps head towards him from down the hall, he continued his pitiful tale. ‘I told Jace I like him as more than a friend… and I am very drunk.’

The light in the hall switched on, and somewhere close to Alec, a cat meowed. A fluffy head bumped against his hand, and Alec looked down, a frown on his face. ‘When did you get a cat?’

‘His name is Chairman Meow,’ an unfamiliar voice answered. ‘And I think you may be in the wrong apartment.’

Alec shot up and his eyes flicked to the source of the voice, where the silhouette of a man was standing in the doorway to the hall, framed by the dim light behind him. ‘Do I know you?’

‘No, I don’t think you do.’

Alec looked back down as the cat started winding his way around his legs, purring all the while. ‘Cat,’ he greeted, patting it awkwardly on the head. ‘Uh, I’m sorry, I should leave,’ he said, standing to leave. ‘Sorry.’

‘No, it’s fine,’ the man said, stepping slowly, suspiciously, towards Alec. ‘Always fun to have a strange man turn up in my apartment. Did you say you were looking for Izzy?’

‘She’s my sister,’ Alec nodded.

‘She’s also the floor above, and out for the night.’

‘Do you know her?’

‘I know everyone,’ the man said, coming to a stop a few feet in front of Alec. ‘Apart from you. Name?’

‘Alec.’

‘Alec. I’m Magnus,’ he huffed in amusement when he saw his cat still trying to befriend Alec. ‘Looks like Meow likes you, so you might as well stay.’

‘I can go,’ Alec offered, waving his hands randomly around in whatever direction he intended to leave by. ‘I think I have… my keys are gone.’

‘I’ll get you some blankets.’

‘You’re letting me stay? You don’t know me, I could be a murderer.’

‘ _Are_ you a murderer?’

‘I mean,’ Alec shrugged and pulled his shirt over his head, flopping onto the couch as he accepted this as his bed for the night. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Wonderfully vague,’ Magnus replied, returning with some linen to make up the couch for Alec. ‘Chairman Meow is a guard cat, so I trust him to stop your murderous intentions before you get near me.’

‘Mm, that’s good,’ Alec sighed, holding the folded blanket to his chest and crossing his ankles, as he got comfy. ‘Good cat.’

‘I’ll leave you to it. Goodnight, Alec.’

Alec just hummed in response, as the cat jumped onto the couch and settled itself over his legs. He was out before Magnus had turned the light back off.

 

* * *

 

_Bacon._

Alec cracked an eye open, trying to avoid too much light getting into his eyes. It felt like shards of glass were slowly making their way into his brain, like he would need a miniature arc reactor to get rid of this. He’d be like Iron Man. With his brain. Iron Brain. (Which was nowhere near as catchy for a superhero name.)

He wasn’t totally sure of where he was when he looked around. It looked familiar, but not quite. The layout was similar to Izzy’s apartment… but she didn’t have plump velvet chairs in her living room, or richly coloured paintings hanging on the walls. Alec tried to move, and received a meow of protest for his efforts.

Izzy also didn’t have a cat.

That was when the events of the past night came back to him. _Jace. The cat. The guy in the doorway._ What the hell had his name been?

Alec sat up slowly and wandered to the source of the bacon smell that had woken him up. The same guy from the doorway was in the kitchen, a pan of bacon on the stove, and a plate of pancakes on the island in the kitchen. ‘Morning,’ Alec said sheepishly. ‘I’m so sorry.’

Doorway dude moved the bacon off the heat and turned around to face him. _Magnanimous? Magician? Was that his name?_ Whatever it was, he made light tinkling noises when he moved. Probably from all the jewellery he was wearing. ‘It’s fine. I was having a boring night.’

‘Did I break a plant when I broke in?’

‘It needed to a bigger pot, anyway.’ Magnanimous Magician padded over to one of the cupboards and handed Alec a bottle of painkillers. He slid a glass of orange juice on the counter over to him as well. ‘You probably don’t feel too great.’

‘Thanks,’ Alec muttered, downing a couple of pills and taking a swig of juice. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t remember your name.’

Magnanimous Magician cracked a smile as he plated the bacon. ‘Magnus. I live on the floor under your sister, Izzy.’

‘Right. And the cat?’

‘Chairman Meow.’

‘Seriously?’

‘It was too good to pass up.’

‘Fair enough.’ Alec rubbed his eyes and groaned, as he leaned on the island and wished the painkillers would just _kick the fuck in_. The quiet jangle of Magnus’ necklaces weren’t even making a lot of noise, but Alec was slipping into sensory overload, and it just needed to _chill the fuck out_.

‘Are you okay?’ Magnus asked, noting Alec’s rigid posture.

‘Everything is a lot right now.’

‘How can I help?’

Alec stood up and walked the few steps to be in front of Magnus. ‘Do you mind?’

Magnus raised an eyebrow and inclined his head slightly, giving Alec permission for whatever he was about to do.

Alec gently, _gingerly_ , removed one necklace, laying it long and flat on the counter top to avoid knots and tangles. He slowly took off a second one, lying it with the other, and continued to do so, until he had a pile of about six different strands beside them. ‘Sorry.’

‘It’s fine,’ Magnus breathed, looking up to Alec’s eyes.

…Yeah, Alec might still have been a little drunk, because almost any other time, he wouldn’t have just gone for it and started making out with a stranger in their kitchen, but here he was.

_Oops._

Alec broke off and took a step back. ‘I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.’

‘I don’t mind,’ Magnus replied, his eyes briefly flashing gold as he stepped through a ray of light towards Alec. ‘Not at all. Breakfast?’

Alec let out a deep sigh and nodded. ‘I’ll go after.’

‘If that’s what you want,’ Magnus handed him another plate and motioned for him to take a seat. He dropped a couple of perfectly round pancakes onto the plate, the bracelets on his wrist chiming together as he reached across for the maple syrup.

Alec eyed them warily, staring at them as Magnus moved. ‘Do you mind?’

Magnus followed his line of sight and held out his arm for Alec to do as he wished. ‘Sure.’

Alec slid bracelet after bracelet over Magnus’ hand, cultivating a second pile beside the necklaces. He left the thick torque behind, because one bracelet by itself wouldn’t hurt, right?

A smile ghosted over Magnus’ face as he started cutting up his pancakes, his movements now significantly decreased in noise. ‘Better?’

‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t apologise, you’re my guest. I’m happy to make you more comfortable.’

Alec watched him for a moment, noting the silver snake cuff on his ear. ‘Is there anywhere you don’t wear jewellery?’

Magnus touched his ear briefly. ‘Oh, that one stays there. It’s where I get my magic from.’

Alec nodded like he knew what Magnus was talking about, and said nothing else as they ate. When he had finished, Alec decided it was time to go. He was about to find a way to quietly slip out, when there was a knock at the door.

‘Excuse me,’ Magnus murmured, heading for the front door.

Moments later, Izzy was standing in the kitchen. ‘Alec, what the hell? I turn my phone off for _one night_ and end up with five missed calls and about twenty texts. What happened?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Magnus sent me a text to say you broke in and nearly killed Meow,’ Izzy looked unconvinced. ‘Jace said you professed your undying love to him or something. And why are you shirtless?’

‘I did not do that. And I forgot where I put my shirt last night. This is all a big misunderstanding.’

‘Is it? You’re _not_ in love with Jace? You _didn’t_ kill Meow?’

‘I didn’t kill the cat, and my defence, I didn’t know there even _was_ a cat here,’ Alec flicked his eyes up to Magnus. ‘And I don’t love Jace.’

‘Mhmm,’ Izzy rolled her eyes. ‘Thank you so much for looking after my brother, Magnus. I’ll take him off your hands.’

‘It was my pleasure,’ Magnus smiled. ‘We had some… _thrilling_ conversation.’

‘Oh, I’ll bet. Alec?’

‘Thank you,’ he said, heading out of the kitchen and past Magnus. ‘And I really am sorry for… all of this.’

‘Please, it’s fine,’ Magnus leaned in to murmur in Alec’s ear. ‘I’ve put my number in your phone in case you want to have any other _conversations_.’

Alec smiled despite himself. ‘I’ll be sure to make sure of it, then.’

**Author's Note:**

> for much better fic than this, y'all should go follow jinko on [tumblr](http://jinkohamilton.tumblr.com) or [here](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinko) on ao3.
> 
> i am [here](http://captainalgren.tumblr.com) on tumblr, should u wish to prompt me for more shitty shadowhunters fic and/or marvel (aka my fandom of the moment).


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